The disclosure relates generally to generator technology, and more particularly, to tools for monitoring and diagnosing generator operation.
Generators in power generation applications convert mechanical energy to electricity. This mechanical energy can take many forms, including: internal combustion, steam or steam turbine, hydro, wind, compressed air, animal powered, etc. Many modern generators are complicated machines that convert large amounts of energy to supply electrical power to an electrical grid from which homes and businesses receive their electricity.
One challenge has been the way in which these generators are maintained. As with all machines, generators may become worn over time. Further, due to the complexity of modern generators, problems, which may initially be small, may be hidden. These hidden problems, if not corrected, may escalate, causing ever larger problems, eventually leading to forced outages.
To date, maintenance of generators has been accomplished by way of routine scheduled maintenance. This entails sending a technician to the site of the generator at predetermined intervals.
However, the scheduled (or preventative) maintenance approach to maintaining generators may not be optimal in terms of cost. A problem that goes undetected may have escalated or already caused down time, or, if the generator is healthy, the scheduled maintenance may be unnecessary.